Removable safety stanchion post arrangement

ABSTRACT

A floor perimeter safety rail arrangement for the protection of workers on the floor of a building on which the workers are workers. The rail arrangement comprises a cement encasable hollow receiving base for attachment to a support surface and a stanchion post removably received in the receiving base. A locking arrangement is provided for both securing and unlocking the stanchion post with respect to the receiving base after the cement has been poured.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to safety rails and more particularly to stanchion posts for peripheral guard rails utilized in the building construction industry.

[0003] 2. Prior Art

[0004] The construction of high-rise buildings and multi-story construction is an arduous and hazardous task. Steel beams and girders are placed together as the underlying support skeleton or frame of that building. Each successive floor is comprised of a periphery of “I” beams supported and interconnected by further I beams and covered by sheets of corrugated steel.

[0005] The peripheral I beams for safety purposes, typically have posts or stanchions welded therearound, to support a safety cable extending therebetween, for the safety of the workers on that particular floor. During the construction of each floor, a layer of concrete is typically poured thereon, about six inches thick on top of the I beams, the corrugated steel and around the base of the peripheral stanchions. As each successive floor is being completed, those stanchions must be removed. They are typically cut with a torch, at the level of the top of the concrete, which has been cured by this time. The edges cut by the torch have to be ground down and the concrete around the base of the cut stanchion or post must be repaired. This is a dangerous and time consuming job. The concrete may have an explosive reaction to the heat from the torch. Thus, such cutting of these posts for their removal, should be eliminated.

[0006] Another prior art safety rail is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,281 to Murray, showing a roof perimeter safety rail system. Such a safety rail system, however, is complicated to attach and is not readily removable or coverable by a concrete layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,829 to Franks discloses a safety rail system, which however, could be hazardous to install and/or remove.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,139 to Weber shows an anchor for a guardrail. However, with such a system, the post may not be removed after the concrete has been poured therearound. U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,016 to Wilkerson, Jr. shows a handrail positioning apparatus for stairs. This patent does show a removable stanchion, however the base would not be enclosable in concrete and still be able to remove the stanchion.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,670 to Whitmer, shows a frame erection safety system for eye beams. However, the removability of the stanchion would not occur because of the way the base is attached to that stanchion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,824 to Whitmer, shows a safety post for attachment to an I beam. U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,257 to Bourn et al, shows a guardrail stanchion, which still would not be utilizable with a concrete floor board around its base.

[0009] It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantage of the prior art.

[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removable stanchion which is securable to a base, which base is enclosable in the concrete floor poured therearound.

[0011] It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a removable stanchion which is removable from its base, after the concrete has been cured.

[0012] It is still yet a further object of the present invention, to provide a reusable stanchion, which is securable to a base and removable thumb bed base, after that base has been encased in a concrete floor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention comprises a floor perimeter safety rail arrangement to be utilized with multi floor buildings under construction. The safety rail arrangement comprises a receiving base which acts as a sleeve to receive the lower end of a removable stanchion. The receiving base in the present invention has a lower end with its periphery welded to the upper side of an “I” beam. The I beam defines the perimeter of each floor of a building under construction. Those perimeter I beams, and an arrangement of corrugated plates of steel will be supported thereon are to receive a layer of concrete about six or more inches thick. It is intended that the layer of concrete and the height of the receiving base lie in the same plane.

[0014] A first embodiment of the present invention comprises the receiving base of rectilinear configuration, preferably square, having a lower inner flange, across which a locking plate is disposed. The locking plate has a central orifice. A locking nut is welded to the lower side of the locking plate and has its threaded opening in coaxial alignment with the orifice or bore in the locking plate. The removable stanchion in this embodiment has a lower end which mates within the receiving base, the lower end of the stanchion butting up against the inner support. An elongated shaft extends from an upper plate at the upper end of the stanchion, and mates within the orifice of the locking plate. The elongated shaft has a threaded distalmost end which is threadably received into the nut on the lower side of the locking plate. A line loop is weldably attached to the upper end of the stanchion, which receives a guardrail or line or the like between adjacent stanchion posts.

[0015] After the concrete has been poured on the upper surface of the I beam and its adjacent steel floor to a depth of about 6 inches, (that is the height of the receiving base), and has cured, the locking means on the stanchion, in this case the elongated shaft, may be unscrewed by its bolt head on the very top end of the stanchion post. This permits the lower end of the stanchion to be removed from the sleeve of the receiving base and utilized on another floor of the building under construction. The receiving base is left as is, welded to the supporting I beam and encased within the cement floor layer.

[0016] The locking and unlocking means for securing and releasing the stanchion from the receiving base in another preferred embodiment thereof comprises a locking stud, of generally inverted T-shape in longitudinal cross section, having a lowermost head end and a narrower upwardly directed locking end. The upper or locking end has a bore extending therethrough. The lower end of the stanchion has a correspondingly placed bore extending thereacross at either side of a receiving cavity. A locking pin is arrangeable through the bore at the lower end of the stanchion and through the bore at the upper end of the locking stud. The receiving base has an inwardly directed annular shoulder which secures the locking stud therein. After the concrete has been poured onto the I beam and adjacent floor of the safety rail arrangement of this embodiment, and the concrete has cured, the locking pin is withdrawn from the respective bores of the locking stud and the stanchion post, permitting the locking stud to drop within the central opening of the receiving base, thus permitting the stanchion post to be removed therefrom and utilized on the next floor (with a new receiving base) under construction.

[0017] A further embodiment of the receiving base and removable stanchion comprises a hollow receiving base which is weldable to the upper surface of the I beam. A locking plate is angularly disposed within the hollow receiving base and has an orifice therein. A locking nut is welded to the lower side of the locking plate adjacent to the orifice therein. The locking and unlocking means of the removable stanchion comprises a threaded bolt extending angularly through the lower end of the stanchion post. The threaded bolt has a lower end which extends through the orifice and the locking plate and threadably engages the nut on the other side thereof. The stanchion in this embodiment, is securable through the receiving base by threadably engaging the locking bolt with the locking nut on the lower side of the locking plate, and loosening of the locking nut from the locking plate and nut will permit removal of the stanchion post therefrom after the cement has been poured and cured therearound and the floor construction has been completed.

[0018] A receiving base of circular cross section comprises yet a further embodiment, which receiving base is weldable to the upper surface of an I beam of a floor under construction. The receiving base has an upper, thinner surface, with a thread surface disposed therearound. The removable stanchion post has an upper end with a line loop weldably attached thereon, and a lower end having a shoulder leading to a reduced diameter shaft. The reduced diameter shaft is of circular cross section, having threads thereon which mateably engage the threads on the inner surface of the upper end of the receiving base. After the concrete has been poured and cured on the surface of the I beam and its adjacent steel sheets, up to the upper edge of the receiving base, the removable stanchion may be unscrewed from that receiving base and then re-utilized (with a new receiving base) on a further floor under construction.

[0019] Thus there has been shown a unique receiving base and replaceable stanchion arrangement for use in the perimeters, both internal and external, of building floors under construction. The receiving base comprising a sleeve which anchors a removable stanchion post after that receiving base has been welded to the upper surface of an I beam, and the concrete has been poured therearound up to the upper edge of that receiving base.

[0020] The invention thus comprises a floor perimeter safety rail arrangement for the protection of workers on the floor on which they are building, comprising: a cement encasable hollow receiving base for attachment to a support surface; a stanchion post removably received in the receiving base; and a locking arrangement for securing and unlocking the stanchion post with respect to the receiving base. The stanchion may be rectilinear in cross-section. The stanchion may be round in cross-section. The locking arrangement may comprise an elongated rod secured at an upper end of said stanchion, the elongated rod being threadedly secured to a threaded receiving nut in the receiving base. The locking arrangement may comprise a vertically displaceable locking stud securable in an locking orientation in an upper end of the receiving base. The locking stud may be of inverted T-shape, and the receiving base may have an annular shoulder for retention of the stud within the receiving base. The locking stud and the stanchion have a removable pin arranged therebetween to secure the locking stud to the stanchion and thereby secure the stanchion to the receiving base. The locking arrangement may comprise a diagonally arranged bolt extending through a lower portion of the stanchion and into a threaded receiving member angularly disposed in the receiving base. The locking arrangement may comprise a threaded annular surface on an upper inside surface of the receiving base, and the stanchion may have a threaded annular surface on a lower end thereof, to threadably engage and disengage of one another, for simple respective twisting securement and separation of the stanchion with respect to the receiving base.

[0021] 1. The invention may also comprises a method of providing a safety rail arrangement to a periphery of a floor of a building comprising: attaching a lower end of a receiving base to an I beam on the floor of the building; securing a removable stanchion to the receiving base by a locking arrangement disposed therewith; pouring concrete onto the floor of the building to a level even with an upper end of the receiving base to define a cement floor and to encase the receiving base. The method may include attaching a safety line to the stanchion; unlocking the stanchion from the base; and removing the unlocked stanchion from the receiving base; and re-using the removed stanchion as part of another safety rail arrangement in a further receiving base. The locking arrangement may comprise an elongated shaft disposed between the stanchion and the base in a threaded arrangement therebetween. The locking arrangement may comprise a displaceable locking stud engaged between the stanchion and the receiving base. The locking stud may be secured to the stanchion by a removable pin extending therebetween. The periphery of the floor of the building may comprise an inner periphery thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0023]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a floor of a building under construction, showing the peripheral arrangement of the stanchion posts therearound;

[0024]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a receiving base and removable stanchion in combination, and a receiving base without a removable stanchion therein;

[0025]FIG. 3 is a view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

[0026]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of the receiving base and stanchion of the present invention;

[0027]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a receiving base and removable stanchion in a further embodiment of the present invention; and

[0028]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of the receiving base and removable stanchion of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the present invention in a plan view, which invention comprises a floor perimeter safety rail arrangement 10 to be utilized with multi-floor buildings “B” under construction. The perimeter safety rail arrangement 10 may be utilized with external peripheries 14 and internal peripheries, as may define a shaft opening 12.

[0030] The safety rail arrangement 10 comprises a receiving base 20 which acts as a sleeve to receive the lower end 22 of a removable stanchion 24, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6. The receiving base 20 in the present invention has a lower end with its periphery attached to the upper side of an “I” beam 26 by for example, a weld “W”. The I beam 26 defines the perimeter of each floor of a building under construction. Those perimeter I beams, and an arrangement of corrugated plates of steel (not shown for clarity) will be supported thereon are to receive a layer of concrete 28 about six or more inches thick. It is intended that the layer of concrete 28 and the top of the receiving base 20 lie in the same plane, as may be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6.

[0031] A first embodiment of the present invention comprises the receiving base 20 being of rectilinear configuration, preferably square, as may be seen in FIG. 3, having a lower inner flange 30, across which a locking plate 32 is disposed. The locking plate 32 has a central orifice 34. A locking nut 35 is welded to the lower side of the locking plate 32 and has its threaded opening in coaxial alignment with the orifice or bore 34 in the locking plate 32. The removable stanchion 24 in this embodiment has a lower end 22 which mates within the receiving base 20, the lower end 22 of the stanchion 24 butting up against the inner support flange 30. An elongated shaft 36 extends from an upper plate 38 at the upper end of the stanchion 24, and has a lower end mates within the orifice 34 of the locking plate 32. The elongated shaft 36 has a threaded distalmost end 40 which is threadably received into the nut 35 on the lower side of the locking plate 32. A line loop 42 is weldably attached to the upper end of the stanchion 24, which loop 42 receives a guardrail or line 44 or the like between adjacent stanchion posts 24, as is depicted in FIG. 1.

[0032] After the concrete 28 has been poured on the upper surface of the I beam 26 and its adjacent steel floor to a depth of about 6 inches, (that is the height of the receiving base 20), and has cured, the locking means on the stanchion 24, in this embodiment, the elongated shaft 36, may be unscrewed by its bolt head on the very top end of the stanchion post 24. This permits the lower end 22 of the stanchion 24 to be removed from the sleeve of the receiving base 20 and utilized on another floor of the building under construction. The receiving base 20 is left as is, empty, and welded to the supporting I beam 26 and encased within the cement floor layer 28, as depicted on the right side of FIG. 2.

[0033] The locking and unlocking means 50 for securing and releasing a stanchion 29 from the receiving base 53 in another preferred embodiment thereof comprises a locking stud 52, of generally inverted T-shape in longitudinal cross section, having a lowermost head end 54 and a narrower upwardly directed locking end 56, as shown in FIG. 4. The upper or locking end 56 of the stud 52 has a bore 58 extending therethrough. The lower end of the stanchion 29 has a correspondingly placed bore 60 extending thereacross at either side of a stud receiving cavity 62. A locking pin 64 is arrangeable through the bore 60 at the lower end of the stanchion 29 and through the bore 58 at the upper end of the locking stud 52. The receiving base 53 has an inwardly directed annular shoulder 66 which secures the locking stud52 therein. After the concrete 28 has been poured onto the I beam 26 and adjacent floor of the safety rail arrangement of this embodiment, and the concrete 28 has cured, the locking pin 64 is withdrawn from the respective bores 58 and 60 of the locking stud 52 and the stanchion post 29, permitting the locking stud 52 to drop within the central opening 57 of the receiving base 53, thus permitting the stanchion post 29 to be removed therefrom and utilized on the next floor (with a new receiving base) under construction.

[0034] A further preferred embodiment of the receiving base and removable stanchion is shown in FIG. 5, which comprises a hollow receiving base 70 which is weldable to the upper surface of the I beam 26. A locking plate 72 is angularly disposed within the hollow receiving base 70 and has an orifice 74 therein. A locking nut 76 is welded to the lower side of the locking plate 72 adjacent to the orifice 74 therein. The locking and unlocking means of the removable stanchion 78 comprises a threaded bolt 80 extending a bore 82 diagonally arranged through the lower end of the stanchion post 78. The threaded bolt 80 has a lower end which extends through the orifice 74 and the locking plate 72 and threadably engages the nut 76 on the other side thereof. The stanchion 76 in this embodiment, is securable through the receiving base 70 by threadably engaging the locking bolt 80 with the locking nut 76 on the lower side of the locking plate 72, and loosening of the bolt 80 from the locking plate 72 and nut 76 will permit removal of the stanchion post 78 therefrom after the cement 28 has been poured and cured therearound and the floor construction has been completed.

[0035] A receiving base 86 of circular cross section comprises yet a further embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, which receiving base 86 is welded-weldable to the upper surface of an I beam 26 of a building floor under construction. The receiving base 86 has an upper, inner surface 88, with a thread 90 disposed therearound. The removable stanchion post 92 has an upper end 94 with a line loop 42 weldably attached thereon, and a lower end 96 having a shoulder 98 leading to a threaded reduced diameter shaft 100. The reduced diameter shaft 100 is of circular cross section, having threads thereon which mateably engage the threads 90 on the inner surface 88 of the upper end of the receiving base 86. After the concrete 28 has been poured and cured on the surface of the I beam 26 and its adjacent steel sheets, up to the upper edge 102 of the receiving base 86, the removable stanchion 92 may be unscrewed from that receiving base 86 and then re-utilized (with a new receiving base) on a further floor under construction.

[0036] Thus there has been shown a unique receiving base and replaceable stanchion arrangement for use in the perimeters, both internal and external, of building floors under construction. The receiving base comprising a sleeve which anchors a removable stanchion post after that receiving base has been welded to the upper surface of an I beam, and the concrete has been poured therearound up to the upper edge of that receiving base. 

I claim:
 1. A floor perimeter safety rail arrangement for the protection of workers on the floor on which they are building, comprising: a cement encasable hollow receiving base for attachment to a support surface; a stanchion post removably received in said receiving base; and a locking arrangement for securing and unlocking said stanchion post with respect to said receiving base.
 2. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said stanchion is rectilinear in cross-section.
 3. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said stanchion is round in cross-section.
 4. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said locking arrangement comprises an elongated rod secured at an upper end of said stanchion, said elongated rod threadedly secured to a threaded receiving nut in said receiving base.
 5. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said locking arrangement comprises a vertically displaceable locking stud securable in an locking orientation in an upper end of said receiving base.
 6. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 5, wherein said locking stud is of inverted T-shape, and said receiving base has an annular shoulder for retention of said stud within said receiving base.
 7. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 6, wherein said locking stud and said stanchion have a removable pin arranged therebetween to secure said locking stud to said stanchion and thereby secure said stanchion to said receiving base.
 8. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said locking arrangement comprises a diagonally arranged bolt extending through a lower portion of said stanchion and into a threaded receiving member angularly disposed in said receiving base.
 9. The safety rail arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein said locking arrangement comprises a threaded annular surface on an upper inside surface of said receiving base, and said stanchion has a threaded annular surface on a lower end thereof, to threadably engage and disengage of one another, for simple respective twisting securement and separation of said stanchion with respect to said receiving base.
 10. A method of providing a safety rail arrangement to a periphery of a floor of a building comprising: attaching a lower end of a receiving base to an I beam on said floor of said building; securing a removable stanchion to said receiving base by a locking arrangement disposed therewith; pouring concrete onto said floor of said building to a level even with an upper end of said receiving base to define a cement floor and to encase said receiving base.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10, including: attaching a safety line to said stanchion.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10, including: unlocking said stanchion from said base; and removing said unlocked stanchion from said base.
 13. The method as recited in claim 12, including: re-using said removed stanchion as part of another safety rail arrangement in a further receiving base.
 14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said locking arrangement comprises an elongated shaft disposed between said stanchion and said base in a threaded arrangement therebetween.
 15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said locking arrangement comprises a displaceable locking stud engaged between said stanchion and said receiving base.
 16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said locking stud is secured to said stanchion by a removable pin extending therebetween.
 17. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said periphery of said floor of said building comprises an inner periphery thereof. 